Zajac discussed the rehab process with players who suffered similar injuries and found that while some people take about three months to recover, other need four or even up to six months to return to action. The 26 year old forward seems like he’s going to take a measured approach to the situation, even if the top-heavy Devils could suffer significantly from losing their top pivot for an extended amount of time.

“It hasn’t really sunk in too much yet that I won’t be there for camp and I won’t be around for exhibition (games) and even the start of the season,” Zajac said this afternoon in his first interview since he was injured. “I think once I get to Jersey and see some guys playing then it will be a lot tougher. That I’m away from it now is probably a good thing because I know if I was around the rink right now I would probably be pushing myself to do something and trying to get back quicker than I probably should.”

(snip)

“It depends on how hard I push it and how my body reacts to everything,” he said. “From what I hear, that (taking four to six months) could happen, but, hopefully, I’m on the lower end of the time frame. We’ll see. I’m definitely not going to rush back and ruin the rest of the year by coming back too early.”

Hopefully Zajac backs up his words about being careful, because it will be unusual for the center to miss being in the lineup. He played all 82 regular season games during the last four seasons and played in 80 contests during his rookie year in 2006-07. After putting up 62 points in 07-08 and 67 in 09-10, Zajac is probably eager to show that his disappointing 10-11 season (13 goals and 44 points) was an unusual down year.

That eagerness could be dangerous if he doesn’t use the right amount of caution, though.

Perhaps it’s time for Devils players to be put in bubble wrap when doing summer workouts to prepare for the season. Last summer, Zach Parise initially injured his knee preparing for training camp, an injury he’d ignore and try to battle through but ultimately needed surgery on to fix, killing most of his 2010-2011 season.

Zajac was set to play once again as the Devils #1 center and work with Parise just like how they always did, but with Zajac’s injury that reunion will take a little while. As Devils GM Lou Lamoriello told Fire & Ice’s Tom Gulitti, Zajac’s road to getting back on the ice is going to be a bit longer than what the Devils website claims.

Lamoriello said Zajac’s recovery will take “three months” from today.

Zajac, who lives in his hometown of Winnipeg in the off-season, tore his Achilles while doing plyometrics during an off-ice training session on Wednesday.

“It was repaired this morning at 9:30 in Winnipeg,” Lamoriello said. “It was a success—a simple operation. It’s just timing and healing.”

Lamoriello said the surgery was conducted by a doctor in Winnipeg that the team is familiar with.

“We know the doctor up there and we had a conference call with our medical people with Travis and everyone on the phone,” Lamoriello said. “We made a decision that he is there (so do the surgery there). MRIs were taken, all the proper preparation prior. We were totally comfortable with the doctor that did it, so it was successful and now it’s just a healing process.”

Zajac had played in 401 consecutive games for the Devils, setting a team record in the process, but that’s all done now. The Devils will have to figure out what they’re going to do in the meantime with Zajac set to miss the start of the season. While it’s not ideal, at least Zajac will be back early enough into the season so as to not to totally submarine their season from the get-go. That said, the Devils’ other options up the middle aren’t exactly appealing or overly experienced.

The Devils have guys like Dainius Zubrus, David Steckel, Jacob Josefson, and Rod Pelley that can line up at center but their best bet is likely going to be Patrik Elias. Elias is normally a better fit on the wing, but with the Devils having more than enough options at his natural left wing, putting him back at center where he’s a faceoff liability might help the offense click better, especially with Parise back at full speed.

It’ll be just a short term fix and coach Peter DeBoer will work things out in training camp, but starting off a season that’s not even into training camp yet like this gives everyone in New Jersey a reason to be nervous.